So, what’s wrong with Christmas spending?

Christmas is just around the corner, and with it, the complaints from many religious leaders about converting it in a celebration of consumption. For example:

Peruvian Cardinal Cipriani criticizes consumption on Christmas

The cardinal lamented that this holiday is used to promote spending among the people.

Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani asked the people not to make the Christmas holiday a celebration of consumption, but to remember that in such day the birth of Jesus Christ.

He basically says “Don’t spend on Christmas. Donate to the Catholic Church.”

I’ve been hearing this since I was a kid. Cipriani, as well as the priest who rage at the spending the people does during the December holidays lament that Jesus is not anymore the center of the celebration.

However, any person in his right mind should already know how wrong is to believe that Jesus was born during that very day. Consider that when Rome made Christianity the official empire religion, many of the pagan holidays were converted into Christian holidays. Moreover, let’s consider how ridiculous is to thing that a woman can conceive a child and remain a virgin. And finally, let’s remember how important the winter solstice was for so many cultures. Even a bishop, when pushed would admit this.

But let’s put that aside for now. Christmas exists no matter if we liked it or not. Just like Halloween, it started as a pagan holiday. And just like Halloween, much of its attractive is in the associated parafernalia. Nowadays, Christmas can be very easily enjoyed with or without Jesus. Just like I don’t believe in Santa Claus, I don’t believe in Jesus.

But there is something I do believe in: the happiness of giving (and receiving) gifts from loved ones. That’s something I will spend money in. The better if the evil capitalist system gives us the option to choose from corporations that fight over their clients.

I don’t think anyone needs and old story to understand and enjoy the happiness of spending time with our loved ones. I am planning to spend it the best I can during these holidays. I won’t be saying “Merry Christmas”, but won’t make a fuzz about it either. I might not like Christmas music, but certainly there are some that deserve to be listened to. In other words, attitude is everything.

The Peruvian cardinal pretends that during Christmas everyone should go to church and listen to that larger-than-life mass. I respectfully decline the invitation, I like my Christmas spending. And if I needed any other reason to not celebrate Christmas like the cardinal wants, well…

Yes, I know it.